TAXI-DRIVERS' STRIKE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21717, 5 February 1934, Page 10

TAXI-DRIVERS' STRIKE

TACTICS IN NEW YORK MAYOR OFFERS ARBITRATION NEW YORK. Feb. 2 Taking advantage of heavy 6now which had fallen overnight and made walking difficult, from 8000 to 15,000 taxicab drivers halted the taxi services in a surprise strike early this morning, seriously disrupting the transportation system of New York city. The unions demand that the accrued proceeds of the city tax of five cents on each ; fare, which they declare to be unconstitutional, shall go to the drivers instead of to the companies. The Mayor, Mr. La Guardia, has declared the strike to be legal, and has stopped the issue of new drivers' licences, to. prevent the owners from importing gangsters and other undesirables, to replace the drivers. He has also offered to arbitrate on the dispute. There was considerable violenoe as the unionists picketed the railway terminals and steamship piers, scuffling with independent drivers who were accepting passengers. DISPUTE IN PARIS PETROL TAX PROTEST TROUBLE INTENSIFIED PARIS, Feb. 2 As,/ a protest against the new petrol tax only 800 out of 7000 taxis in Paris were plying for hire yesterday. The strike has now been intensified, and only 400 are running. Pickets are striving io lessen the number. Hundreds of strikers are driving slowly around the chief centres, blocking -tfaffic. They are immune from arrest while they keep moving.